Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarande and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarande: $1,285 a month against $1,839 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Sarande
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Sarande Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Sarande

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,285

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sarande and in Nosara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sarande and in Nosara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Sarande vs $1,839 in Nosara, rent included.

Sarande $1,285
Nosara $1,839

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Sarande vs $2,828 in Nosara, rent included.

Sarande $2,181
Nosara $2,828

A family of three spends $3,076 per month in Sarande vs $3,818 in Nosara, rent included.

Sarande $3,076
Nosara $3,818

Sarande is about 30% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sarande sits 5% below the global median, while Nosara is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.93 ALL 800

$12.35 ₡5,539

-19.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ALL 4,392

$61.2 ₡27.4K

-10.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 ALL 888

$7.52 ₡3,373

46.68%

Cappuccino

$2.23 ALL 180

$4.41 ₡1,978

-49.43%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ALL 197

$1.74 ₡780

40.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 ALL 92.8

$1.31 ₡587

-12.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 ALL 283

$3.28 ₡1,471

7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 ALL 332

$4.47 ₡2,004

-7.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ALL 175

$1.56 ₡701

39.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 ALL 95.4

$3.02 ₡1,355

-60.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ALL 186

$2.51 ₡1,125

-7.97%

Eggs

$3.77 ALL 304

$3.57 ₡1,603

5.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 ALL 1,002

$7.43 ₡3,333

67.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.09 ALL 732

$10.52 ₡4,717

-13.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.98 ALL 1,368

$13.97 ₡6,265

21.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 ALL 156

$2.35 ₡1,052

-17.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 ALL 194

$1.61 ₡720

49.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ALL 160

$4.80 ₡2,152

-58.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 ALL 147

$1.61 ₡724

13.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 ALL 81.5

$3.80 ₡1,703

-73.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ALL 103

$3.69 ₡1,657

-65.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ALL 119

$1.13 ₡507

30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ALL 62.2

$2.66 ₡1,191

-71.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.82 ALL 388

$5.18 ₡2,321

-6.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 ALL 601

$19.88 ₡8,916

-62.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ALL 129

$2.90 ₡1,300

-44.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ALL 166

$3.63 ₡1,626

-43.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ALL 88.7

$1.12 ₡504

-1.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.72 ALL 1,830

$72.6 ₡32.6K

-68.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ALL 297

$2.14 ₡958

72.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.56 ALL 287

$1.57 ₡703

126.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.51 ALL 1,491

$8.52 ₡3,823

117.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 ALL 180

$1.52 ₡682

46.71%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.1K ALL 2.7M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

53.34%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.8K ALL 2.2M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-19.57%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$99.9 ALL 8,043

$96.3 ₡43.2K

3.73%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.16 ALL 1,462

$35.89 ₡16.1K

-49.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.41 ALL 1,563

$53.6 ₡24.0K

-63.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.5 ALL 7,047

$71.6 ₡32.1K

22.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.89 ALL 3,293

$34.91 ₡15.7K

17.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.79 ALL 788

$7.89 ₡3,539

24.08%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$296 ALL 23.8K

$494 ₡221.6K

-40.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,951 ALL 640.3K

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-32.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 ALL 5,789

$53.9 ₡24.2K

33.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 ALL 3,839

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-13.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ALL 9,692

$77.9 ₡34.9K

54.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ALL 8,958

$79.6 ₡35.7K

39.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 ALL 69.0K

$788 ₡353.4K

8.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ALL 30.1K

$794 ₡356.2K

-52.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 ALL 88.1K

$3,939 ₡1.8M

-72.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 ALL 74.5K

$1,419 ₡636.5K

-34.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,468 ALL 359.8K

$6,912 ₡3.1M

-35.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 ALL 228.7K

$1,224 ₡549.0K

131.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$756 ALL 60.9K

$864 ₡387.3K

-12.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

8.62

-37.47%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Sarande: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sarande

$373 29.1%

Nosara

$794 43.2% 113% $421

Groceries & Markets

Sarande

$281 21.9%

Nosara

$352 19.2% 25.5% $72

Eating Out

Sarande

$180 14%

Nosara

$212 11.5% 18% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Sarande

$158 12.3%

Nosara

$120 6.5% 24% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarande

$137 10.7%

Nosara

$186 10.1% 35.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Sarande

$107 8.3%

Nosara

$87 4.8% 18.4% $20

Getting Around

Sarande

$49 3.8%

Nosara

$87 4.7% 79.1% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $857 in Sarande versus $788 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Sarande versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $281 vs $352 – making Sarande the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇱 Sarande

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

15:09 3:09 PM

07:09 7:09 AM

8 h behind Sarande

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,233

4,912

💱 Currency

Albanian Lek ALL L

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to ALL – Albanian Lek Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇱 Albanian Lek (L)

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to ALL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sarande Nosara 10,600 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Sarande
Nosara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Sarande vs Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,285 in Sarande, $1,839 in Nosara – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Sarande and $2,758 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sarande, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 220% less in Sarande. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $296 per month in Sarande and $494 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarande, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Nosara at $1,839. In Sarande it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,285 in Sarande to $1,839 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sarande. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.